


Early Morning Escape

by lucasquinn



Series: Sharing a World [13]
Category: Primeval, Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Gen, dragon!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-29
Updated: 2013-10-29
Packaged: 2017-12-30 20:52:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1023249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucasquinn/pseuds/lucasquinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young boy looking forward to meet their draconic legend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Early Morning Escape

**Author's Note:**

> This is a big jump into the AU world. Primeval but actually set in the future of the Temeraire Universe. There are still anomalies, there's still a team and there is even a research centre (yet unnamed). There has also been a slight twist in evolution somewhere along the line and one more sentient species shares the Earth with humans, dragons. Thanks to fredbassett all fics so far posted have been betaed.
> 
> One last thing, I might not have mentioned it in the intro but the number next to the title is the year the story takes place in since I tend to jump around in the timeline with this.
> 
> Timestamp for this universe set back in 1978.

The young boy tip-toed quietly through the farm house, shoes in one hand and a small leather satchel in the other. A quick check of the kitchen confirmed that no one was up yet and the boy took advantage of the light from the early sunrise to hurriedly collect a couple of apples, a few slices of bread and a chunk of cheese which were then carefully wrapped in a tea towel before being stuffed into the satchel.

Still holding his breath for fear someone would catch him before he got out of the house, the boy picked up his shoes and now considerably heavier bag before making his way to the back door; he’d nearly reached it and the freedom that was just outside when a stern voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Nicholas Michael Cutter, exactly where in the name of the Lord do you think you’re going at 4.30 in the morning?”

He was totally busted.

Young Nick tried to paste his cutest smile on, the one that managed to get him away from the pinching fingers of the old ladies in church who seemed to have a fascination with his suntanned cheeks, and turned around to face his grandmother.

“Good morning, Nana. I was thinking I might get a little head start on my chores and then maybe have a bit of a picnic on the hills while I do some home works.” Nick tried not to cringe, maybe the homework bit was pushing things a little since it would have been painfully obvious to anyone who cared to stick their heads in his bedroom that his school bag was still untouched in a corner, the same place he’d dropped it when he had arrived at his grandparents’ farm house for the summer holidays nearly a month before.

“Would you care to explain why your grandfather’s spare riding harness is missing from its hook then?” Nick sighed and slumped slightly, he was definitely busted this time.

“Micanimus said he’s due to fly to the Covert by Loch Laggan today to meet some friends and asked if I wanted to go with him.” he admitted. “It’s a few hours flight and he has promised he’d be there for breakfast but I was going to do my chores when we came back, I promise.” His grandmother didn’t look very convinced unfortunately.

A slight shaking of the ground under his feet told Nick that Micanimus had landed nearby and a quick glance over his shoulder and through the kitchen window confirmed that the large dragon was now sitting at the top of the hill waiting for him.

“Nana, please! Mica said that Temeraire is going to be there.” Even at well past one hundred and fifty years of age the Imperial was still a legend, more so among dragons than humans and Nick Cutter had heard the stories about his adventures from Micanimus and his grandfather since he had been able to walk.

Now, for the first time in over thirty years, Temeraire had come back to England and Nick had barely been able to sleep at all the previous night after Mica had asked him if he wanted to come along and meet the draconic legend.

“Oh Nicholas, my lad, I see you’ve already put together our breakfast, well done. Micanimus is going to start fidgeting any moment if we don’t hurry and I shan’t resist teasing him from here to Loch Laggan if he does, which would make for a very cranky dragon.” Nick’s namesake and grandfather walked into the kitchen fully dressed and with his riding leathers draped over one arm.

Micanimus’ old captain leaned closer to his wife and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek before picking up another apple from the table before biting into it with appetite.

Nick was so surprised by the turn of events that for a moment he stood stock still, mouth agape as his grandfather cheerfully munched on his apple and his grandmother lost her fight with the smile that had been tugging at the corner of her mouth.

“What lad? I might have met Temeraire before but did you think I’d let pass the chance to see him and some of my old mates go by? You better run to fetch your dad’s old riding leathers because it gets bloody freezing on the way.” Nick’s grandfather grinned to him and accepted the large backpack his wife handed him with another quick kiss.

“We’ll be back sometime tomorrow my dear, don’t you fret about us and don’t you worry about the chores, a couple of the Cochrane lads should be up here in a few hours to take care of everything, I arranged things with their old man last night over a pint.”

His apple now finished, Nick’s grandfather pulled on the old cape, fasting it close all the way up to his neck and for a brief moment the child could see exactly what his grandfather had been like in his youth when, together with Micanimus, they risked enemy fire to fly through the battlefields rescuing the injured and bringing them to safety.

It was only a moment though, and then he was his old granpa again, who laughed as he scrambled for his father’s old child sized leather coat and rested a warm, large hand on his shoulders as they said goodbye to his nana and walked up the hill behind the house where Micanimus was indeed fidgeting and asked them what had taken them so long.

As they flew towards the Covert, Nick glanced again to his grandfather who was sitting at the base of Micanimus’ neck and for a moment he could see them again, man and dragon riding together through the fire and the roar of the artillery and he realised that he didn’t really need to look at Temeraire to see a hero.


End file.
